Kentucky subsidy nears passage

The Kentucky Senate unanimously passed a spending bill Tuesday that included provisions for subsidies for horse breeders in the state, with supporters contending that it would also easily pass the House.

The bill had come out of a conference committee that met over the weekend. That committee was required when the House and the Senate had passed spending bills that were similar but not identical.

Sen. Damon Thayer, who supported the subsidies, said Tuesday that he expected the bill to be passed in the House by midnight.

The breeding subsidies would be derived from the current 6 percent sales tax on stud fees.